In your bag No: 495 – Thomas Roessler

In your bag 495, Thomas Roessler
Thomas has a bag, wait, no, he has a belt. A batman style utility belt, but for a camera! How awesome is that? Come and have a look.
Hello, I’m Thomas Roessler, a professional communication designer and photographer from Germany.

When I took my first photo, I was 13 years old, now I’m 50. As I do (occasionally) some photographic freelance jobs besides my post in a museum, I have to work digitally. For pleasure, for documenting my life, my environment, for my fine art photography, I still work with film.

I use various film formats beginning from 35mm to 13 x 18 cm

Today I’m showing you my minimalistic equipment:

Often I like to carry as little weight as possible, but don’t want to make compromises concerning quality. About 10 years ago, Leica published one of my photos in an annual catalogue and this was the beginning of my personal experience with the brand. I got a CL with its standard 40mm Summicron – C. After a quite long period of thinking about a perfect bag, I decided to get a belt – bag handmade by a local craftsman, Ulrich Czerny. http://www.lederdesign.de

Some years later my Leica equipment was completed by the 25mm snapshot skopar, which turned out to be my favourite lens. Ulrich created a tiny little sister for the belt – bag. Both are made from a very thick leather and they are padded on their ground.

Usually I wear cargo pants with enormous pockets for the rest of my belongings. From case to case I need an exposure meter, the minolta flash meter. Or a little tripod. Mine is made by minox, it has a cable release inside. What else do I carry with me? A pocket watch, sometimes a box for cigars.

Films, of course. I like reala. Also portra.

The belt bags are not really functional in winter-time, when they are hidden under a thick coat. In this case a shoulder – bag replaces the belt – bag.

Most of my personal work is more concept – based than spontanuous street photography. But I really admire people, who are good street photographers. (R. Frank, G. Winogrand or Meyerovitz.)

If you want to know more about my work, there is an interview which I had made for the Australian magazine PhotoReview in 2009.

Or: have a look at my website; you’ll find some photographic works there and also some of my drawings and some performance art: www.thomasroessler.eu

Thanks for sharing your gear with us Thomas, very interesting to see the utility belt, almost like batman, except with cameras.
Check out the link and make sure you come and comment.

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com. Send me a hi resolution image of the bag (please make sure it is horizontal) and its contents, with some details about yourself and what you shoot. Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here.